7 Inspiring Public Relations Quotes to Remember

By Monique Garcia

Words are one of the most powerful forces in the history of humankind. They have the power to create, to destroy, to heal and to harm. Best of all, they have the power to inspire. Below is a collection of quotes from some of the most successful and interesting people in  public relations.

Here are seven of the most inspiring PR quotes I’ve come across. 

1. “Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.”
 – Rudyard Kipling

As PR professionals, we have control over many things. It is our duty to use words responsibly and effectively. Understanding how important it is to know what to say is critical. PR professionals hold great power over how a brand communicates and, in turn, controls how people view a brand.

2. “PR is a mix of journalism, psychology, and lawyering – it’s an ever-changing and always interesting landscape.” 
– Ronn Torossian

What makes PR so interesting is how unique every situation is. When dealing with a PR project, remember to use all your skills and knowledge to your advantage. By having a wide set of skills, you can understand how to deal with different PR problems and find the best solution during a crisis.

3. “Nobody counts the number of ads you run; they just remember the impression you make.”
– Bill Bernbach, advertising pioneer and founder of DDB

Quality over quantity. By putting effort and thought into what you say the first time, you spend less energy in the long run to communicate what you wanted to say in the first place. Many might think that more is better, but saying less when you choose the right words is far more effective. 

4. “If you don’t tell your story, someone else will.”
– Unknown

Bad PR is likely to happen at some point. Like Thanos, it is inevitable. How quickly you respond to a crisis can limit the damage to reputation and help the public understand the facts before others have a chance to manipulate the situation in their favor.

5. “PR means telling the truth and working ethically – even when all the media want is headlines and all the public wants is scapegoats. Public relations fails when there is no integrity.” 
– Viv Segal of Sefin Marketing

Sometimes just being a PR professional can give you a bad reputation. Most people view PR professionals as spiders just spinning a web of lies to hide the truth. This makes it all the more important to be ethical and honest with the public. No one likes being lied to and the truth always manages to make itself know somehow. Being honest with yourself and the public is always the way to go.

6. “Reputation matters because your behind is always behind you.” 
– Happy Masina

Reputation is one of the most important things to manage as a PR professional. People will always be looking to find a problem to judge or hate. The best way to fight this is to give them less ammo to be used against your brand overall.

7. “Say what you mean, and mean what you say.”
– George S. Patton
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Short and simple. By now, most PR students know that what you say matters just as much as what you do. Honesty goes a long way in PR to strengthen and grow trusts with your public. 

I hope these seven quotes helped inspire you as PR professionals. Feel free to share this list or comment below which quote you felt was the most inspiring and why.